Assessment of Coronary Inflammation Using Novel CCTA Marker Pericoronary Adipose Tissue (PCAT) Attenuation

Coronary artery disease is a leading cause of death in which chronic vascular inflammation plays an important role. Pericoronary adipose tissue (PCAT) is a fat depot beside the coronary arteries that undergoes distinct changes in response to vascular inflammation. These changes can be mapped as radiodensity or attenuation using non-invasive coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) imaging, and provides a specific means of assessing inflammation in the coronary vessels. PCAT attenuation therefore presents a potential means of determining inflammatory risk in a range of coronary and metabolic disease states.